


The Problem with Being a Teenaged Superhero

by Rookblonkorules



Category: Shazam! (2019)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bullying, Found Family, Gen, Hurt Freddy Freeman, Hurt/Comfort, On Hiatus, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Billy Batson, The Bryers are assholes, honestly who's surprised about that one, not me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-19 06:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22273021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookblonkorules/pseuds/Rookblonkorules
Summary: It had been true. At least for a little while, Freddy had been a hero.Except now he wasn't.And that truth is the hardest for him to accept.
Relationships: Billy Batson & Freddy Freeman
Comments: 25
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ItsyBitsyBatsySpider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsyBitsyBatsySpider/gifts).



> So this has been sitting in my doc folder for so long now. Seriously, I can't believe I forgot about my Shazamily for so long! It's been so long since I actually started this that I don't remember really all that much about my plans for it, except I'm pretty sure it sprang from my wanting to explore the idea of the rest of the kids' powers only being temporary. (Pretty sure they lost them for a little while at the end of the comic book- before getting them back at some point?)  
> There's no update schedule right now because I have several other fics that I'm working on (and other fandoms keep stealing my heart), but I don't expect this to be very long. But I'm hoping this won't be the last of my fics for this family- I love them too much.

Freddy’s fingers tremble as he punches in the combination to his locker. 

He pulls it open, reaching inside…

… and remembers a similar set of lockers, an iron grip on his collar, around his throat, a voice that roars, raging in his ears.

And the smoke- the smoke that coils around the man’s shoulders, features forming and fading with no discernable pattern, while all Freddy can do is watch in a sort of horrified,  _ terrified, _ fascination.

Glowing eyes, claws, teeth… teethteethteeth. 

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Freddy jumps, barely managing to stifle the yelp that rises in his throat.

He slams his locker shut, spinning around.

Billy is there, leaning with one arm propped against the locker next to his.

His brows are drawn forward. He’s scrutinizing Freddy.

Freddy decides right away that he doesn’t like it. 

He turns away, frustrated with himself for shutting the locker when he hasn’t even grabbed his biology textbook. That quickly translates into frustration towards  _ Billy _ because if Billy hadn’t come up and startled him, he would  _ have  _ his biology textbook in his hand.

“Nothing,” he says, as blandly as he can. It’s not really working. His voice sounds as shaky as his hands. He starts entering the combination to his locker all over again. “Nothing at all. Why? Is there something on my face?”

Freddy yanks open his locker.

“ _ You’re going to tell me where he is.” _

Freddy flinches before he can tell himself that the voice  _ isn’t real. _

Billy notices.

“Freddy…”

“I’m  _ fine,” _ he grinds out, pressing his palm against the cool, flat surface of the locker. He’s well aware of the fact that they’re drawing an audience.

Damnit, why can’t Billy just leave him alone? 

“It doesn’t look like fine to me.”

“Maybe it’s none of your business.”

Billy crosses his arms. “That stuff about being brothers? I thought it was a two way street.”

“Billy, please,” he almost whines. Begging, actually. It does nothing for his pride, but maybe it will get the point across. “Not now.”

Billy unfolds his arms, frowning. Something in Freddy’s plea seems to have bothered him. Like he’s maybe actually considering backing off. Which is… weird since Freddy knows how stubborn Billy can be.

“Freddy, you can’t…” Billy finally starts, only to be interrupted when the bell starts ringing.

Saved by the bell.

Literally.

“Whoops, sorry,” Freddy says, scooping the books he needs into his arms. Not sorry at all. But, hey. Who’s to know? He’s careful not to look at Billy. “Looks like we’d better start going if we want to get to class.”

“Freddy…”

Billy shifts, looking and  _ sounding _ like he isn’t one hundred percent comfortable leaving Freddy on his own.

Which rankles Freddy.

It’s fine. He’s fine. 

They’re at school. 

What’s the worst that could happen?

“We’re going to  _ late.” _ Freddy draws out the last word, like he’s feeling it out on his tongue.

But he doesn’t move, keeping his head down until he hears Billy moving away.

He swallows, licks his lips. His tongue feels dry.

“Hey, Billy?” he tries. For a second, he doesn’t think Billy heard him.

Then, “Yeah?”

“Could I…” Freddy swallows again, ignoring the tightness in his throat. “Do you… I think I’d rather walk home by myself today.” He lowers his head. “If that’s okay with you.”

Billy doesn’t answer. At first, Freddy is afraid he’s going to ignore him.

But then Billy says, “Fine. Whatever.”

And he leaves.

Freddy closes his eyes and tries desperately to ignore the stone drop in the pit of his stomach.

…

There’s a part of Freddy that thinkshopes _ wants _ Billy to still be there, waiting outside for him at the end of school.

He’s not.

Of course he isn’t.

Freddy hikes his backpack up a little higher up his shoulder, trying to ignore the sting of hurt because he asked for this. 

He, of all people, does not get to feel betrayed.

Not over this.

Not with what he’s done on his conscience. 

He bites his bottom lip… hard… as Sivana’s voice forms a fog around his head. He closes his eyes, trying to steady his hands when they start to shake. 

Freddy doesn’t want to think about it. Not now. 

He forces his eyes to open, forces himself to ignore the voice in his ear. The one that tells him he’s worthless, that  _ you’re just like me. _

He shakes it off, tells himself that it’s not really  _ there, _ and sets off for home.

Alone.

…

Breathing  _ hurts, _ Freddy discovers. 

He leans against the brick wall, hand pressed against his chest.

He’s not sure if it’s because he’s got a couple of ribs broken or if it’s because he’s had the wind knocked out of him (honestly, he’s got his money pegged on the former), but getting proper air into his lungs is suddenly an impossibility. 

_ “Hey, Freeman.” _

It had been  _ that  _ voice,  _ that  _ sentence, that had started it all and he’d turned around only to receive a fist to the face, courtesy of the Bryers brothers.

The following volley of kicks and punches had ended with the larger of the two grabbing him by his coat lapels and slamming him up against the brick wall.

_ “You think you’re so special? After Superman came to lunch?” _

_ “Uh… yeah? Kinda? When was the last time he did that for you guys?” _

In hindsight, the snark really hadn’t served him well. 

_ “So scream. If he’s really your friend,” Burke’s lips are so close to his ear, he can feel his hot breath, “call him.” _

_ With a sharp twist of Freddy’s arm, Burke gets what he wants and Freddy screams. _

_ “Superman. Superman!!!” _

_ Burke releases his arm and Freddy slumps, exhausted, to the ground.  _

_ The brothers stand over him. _

_ “Guess he really isn’t coming for a loser like you.” _

_ And Freddy, slumped against the brick wall, tears leaking from his half-shut eyes, says nothing. _

_ With a final, half-hearted kick to the side of his leg, the brothers high-five and depart. _

The memory refuses to leave him and a tear slips free. He closes his eyes and lets his head rest back against the brick wall.

He’d cried then too.

The burn of that humiliation still lingers in his chest.

Freddy shifts a little, but, really, there’s nowhere for him to go, no way for him to make it home.

The Bryers broke his crutch. 

It’s there on the sidewalk next to him. Just achingly out of reach. Or… maybe he could reach it. If he had the energy to try. 

But, in the end, what does it matter?

It’s broken.

Not like it will do him any good even if it weren’t. 

The way he hurts right now, he doesn’t even think he could manage the way home.

It’s starting to get cold- it’s getting late and he probably only has an hour of daylight left anyways.

In other words, he’s well and truly screwed. 

This is what he gets, a darker part of himself reminds him. He rejected Billy’s offer of help. Basically told him to get lost. And, okay, so he was nicer about it (wasn’t he? The look of hurt on Billy’s face flashes through Freddy’s memory.), but the effect was still the same. 

He lets his eyes open to slits, regarding the full-frontal view of yet another brick wall with disinterest.

The Bryers picked a good spot to leave him. Freddy has to give them that. There won’t be many people passing by this way who could find him. And anyone who  _ does  _ pass by is likely someone he won’t want to be found by.

It’s a lose-lose situation either way.

Nothing he can do but wait.

His eyes slide shut.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really hoping this chapter flows well. It's been forever since I saw this movie- I still adore everything about it, the entire cast of characters, especially my boys, Freddy and Billy. But I've gotten out of the swing of things. The first chapter was pretty much already written in its entirely when I reopened it. This chapter is me trying to regain my vigour for this fandom. I'm worried it may come off a little stiff. If it does, I apologize. Updates will be slow because I'll probably just need the extra time to get back into the feel of things.   
> That being said, while I've moved on to other fandoms (Treasure Planet!!!!!!) I do have some other fics I'd love to write for this movie once this is complete. *crosses fingers*  
> That aside, I really want to thank everyone who's taken the time to leave a comment. It really does make an author's day.

“Billy?” 

Billy’s head snaps up to find Victor lurking in the doorway. Slowly, he shuts his math textbook. It’s fine. He hadn’t really been doing his homework anyways, despite appearances. Just staring at the page didn’t actually count.

“Yeah?”

“Have you seen Freddy?” Victor steps completely into the room. There’s something on his face- something like worry that’s trying desperately not to make itself known completely and Billy sits up straighter.

“No. Why? He isn’t home yet?”

“No, he isn’t.”

Victor shakes his head and maybe there’s something a little accusing in his eyes when he looks at Billy.

Billy shifts uncomfortably and understands. He and Freddy walk home together on most days. He can pass the blame on to Freddy if he wants to. He can tell himself that he only left because Freddy didn’t give him a choice, but he knows that there was a vindictive part of himself that  _ wanted  _ to leave Freddy behind. 

A part of himself that felt stung at being rejected and a part of him that felt good at being able to deliver something back in return.

And now Freddy hasn’t made it home. 

Was that an accusation in Victor’s eyes? Or simply disappointment? 

Billy figures that, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. He deserves it.

Or maybe he’s reading too much into it, because Billy’s only known about Freddy’s absence for a minute at the most and he’s already scared.

“I can…” Billy is on his feet, words drying up almost as quickly as he thought to say them. He can what? Say the word and become Captain Sparklefingers? He can’t tell Victor that. Blowing his secret identity isn’t an option.

_ But shouldn’t it be? _ he argues with himself. Isn’t Freddy out there, alone and possibly hurt, a bigger issue than his secret identity as the city’s new hero? Is that really what he should be worried about right now?

_ You don’t know that he’s hurt _ , his mind argues back.

_ But you do, don’t you? You saw it in his eyes, even if he didn’t want you to. _

It’s not hard for him to piece together the reason Freddy is hurting. Maybe the reason Freddy hasn’t come home. 

Because, for a little while, Freddy was a hero. He was everything he’d ever wanted. For a little while. And then it was gone, snatched away from all of them with no warning. 

_ (Because Billy wasn’t the wizard. Billy couldn’t grant them powers. Not permanently. And the staff was broken.) _

Except him. 

And it’s bothering all of them. He knows it is. You don’t just… get superpowers and then lose them and then just go on like  _ normal, _ but he doesn’t think it’s hit them all quite so hard as it’s hit Freddy.

(And it isn’t fair- why did he get to keep them, when no one else did? He doesn’t deserve that, he thinks.)

“I can help,” he blurts. Victor has to see how earnest he is. He doesn’t think he can sit here and go crazy.

But Victor shakes his head, tight-lipped, because no, it looks like Billy won’t be going out to help look for the brother he lost.

But he can’t be angry. Not really. Not when he should never have let Freddy chase him off and when he should have just  _ stayed with him _ like brothers did and  _ isn’t that what Freddy taught him? _

Not when Victor’s face is haggard with worry and Billy realizes just how terrified both his foster parents must be.

“I need you to stay here and watch the younger kids,” he says. Because with Mary away at college and Pedro struggling to bring his grades up, Billy’s somehow been designated as the next babysitter. “I’m going out in the van with Rosa. There’s chicken in the oven and a timer going on the microwave. Can you check it when it goes off?”   
Billy nods, but it feels like a pointless gesture. What does chicken matter if Freddy doesn’t come home? What does any of it matter?

“Billy?” Victor is still waiting for an answer. A missing brother doesn’t change the fact that kids gotta eat.

Billy swallows. “Yeah. I… I can do that.” He might be lying. He doesn’t think he can stay here and wait, knowing that Freddy is out there. And… and the Captain is fast. Faster than the Vasquez’s van.    
The corners of Victor’s eyes soften in an attempt at a smile, but the man is in far too much distress for it to succeed. 

“Thank you, Billy.”

“Yeah. No problem.” Billy presses his palms together and follows Victor from the room, hoping that his voice didn’t  _ really _ sound as shaky as it just did to his own ears.

He feels guilty for misleading Victor, but not as guilty as he feels about Freddy. Besides, can he really go down and face Eugene and Darla and  _ not  _ do anything he possibly can to bring their brother home?

But leaving is what got them into this mess in the first place.

_ Leaving  _ is why Sivana was able to kidnap Freddy.  _ Leaving  _ is why he was able to take any of them hostage.

_ Leaving  _ is why Freddy isn’t currently home with them. 

Because if Billy had done that brother thing and stuck close, there would have been nowhere for Freddy to go  _ but  _ home.

And, as much as Billy wants to believe that Freddy’s off nursing his wounds, somewhere else of his own volition, he can’t shake the feeling that something else is  _ wrong. _

Victor and Rosa will go to the end of the world to bring him back, but what if what they can do isn’t good enough?

Rosa is already flying out the door, keys in hand, when Billy makes it to the bottom of the stairs. She doesn’t even have her coat.

She says something, something about being good and not to worry, they shouldn’t be gone long. Something that Billy can’t quite catch. 

And then she’s gone and Victor is gone right behind her.

The car doors slam, an engine starts, and Billy crosses the room to peek out through the curtains. 

That’s when Darla pipes up. 

“You’re going, right?” she asks and then she’s at his side, clutching at his elbow, and his heart  _ hurts.  _ “You’re going to find Freddy?”

He can’t bring himself to look at her. “I don’t know, Dar.” He keeps his eyes on the road. The Vasquez’s van has already disappeared around the street corner. 

He wants to. Heaven only knows he wants to. But he knows he was right in remembering that  _ leaving  _ is what caused all of this to begin with. 

_ Leaving  _ is what caused everything to begin with, starting with his mom leaving him behind that day at the amusement park. 

Billy swallows down his bitterness, because this isn’t about  _ him _ . This is about Freddy.

“But you’ve gotta go!” Darla yanks on his arm with both hands now. One look at her tells Billy that she’s on the verge of tears. “Freddy could be in trouble!”

He knows. Boy, does he know. 

“I…” His tongue feels like it’s stuck to the roof of his mouth. He’s torn between two responsibilities.

“We can take care of ourselves.” Eugene. “You need to go and find Freddy.  _ You’re  _ the one with the superpowers.” 

Billy listens carefully for any trace of bitterness and is instantly ashamed of it, but he can’t find any. It’s just Eugene being Eugene and stating the facts.

He’s right. 

Billy  _ is  _ the only one with any sort of superpowers. He’s the one who could find Freddy in any reasonable amount of time.

It seems like a no-brainer.

Doesn’t it?


End file.
